Review – The Cursed Child (Harry Potter, Book 8) by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany (3/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Release Date: July 31, 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1338099133
Stand Alone or Series: 8th book in the Harry Potter series
Source: Bought
Rating: 3/5 stars
“It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”
This is the 8th book in the Harry Potter series; although I cringe to call it that. I think I will just say it takes place after the 7th book in the series and is more fan fiction than anything. This was okay but not great. It was just something to extend the Harry Potter world that felt unnecessary to me.
Those who say this reads like fanfiction are correct; that is pretty much what it is. That is not to say fanfiction is bad, and this was okay. It just didn’t have the magic of the earlier books. This is also written as a play (which I knew going in) and I am not a huge fan of reading stories in play form.
The majority of the story focuses around the next generation of boys (Harry’s son Albus, and Draco’s son) and their daddy issues. That right there is pretty much the story. Voldemort comes back into play in a sense and this kind of made me groan. I am not a huge fan of the “returning of an already vanquished evil” theme.
Overall this was a quick read and it was okay, but I didn’t love it. My ten year old son, who is absolutely obsessed with Harry Potter right now, did really enjoy this book. So, this book may work better for younger readers who just want a bit more Harry Potter in their lives. I was fairly disappointed and would have been better off if I had never read this book.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
